engine bulb heat, for cold starting

[peter lena 8,647]

been using these reflectors with a 75 watt HALOGEN BULB , that gives off heat , under my magnum 12 engines , using  this aluminum reflector , under the center frame  TECH   matic   frame edge , https://www.walmart.com/ip/Bayco-SL-300-8-5-Inch-Clamp-Light-with-Aluminum-Reflector/14003467?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=1122&&adid=22222222227001247075&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=40838691632&wl4=pla-78652182872&wl5=9003310&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=101593696&wl11=online&wl12=14003467&veh=sem&gclid=CjwKCAiArbv_BRA8EiwAYGs23K_33Cl7wCOndMK0_2KVgZw13W3ccziNryXbtj6yG_oQUa2jfMjOjhoCFscQAvD_BwE,  standing the reflector on clamp end vertically ,holds it simply in place. install from clutch pedal side. just enough heat to really improve cold starting , in a cold shed . been regularly using it , with no issues , and instant starts ,  just an experiment , that works for me , pete

[ebinmaine 67,698]

Ever put an old blanket draped over the hood while heating with the bulb?

I've not tried it but told it works well. 

[peter lena 8,647]

ebin, have not tried the blanket , my father used to do that , without the bulb , on his car in winter in a steel shed . the 4 th picture down on the wall mart , site shows' the  vertical bottom of the clamp , that  goes on floor, the reflector is held in place with the tech mount frame, standing there , just enough heat , for an easy start , pete

[WHNJ701 4,165]

45 minutes ago, ebinmaine said:

Ever put an old blanket draped over the hood while heating with the bulb?

I've not tried it but told it works well. 

If it's that cold out, the old blanket is going over me in the house instead

[ebinmaine 67,698]

40 minutes ago, jabelman said:

If it's that cold out, the old blanket is going over me in the house instead

That's fair. 

[R Scheer 502]

My father told me he used to use a bale of straw and a gallon of diesel to warm the tractor up enough to start during the winter.  Soak the straw with the diesel, slide under the oil pan, light off the straw with a torch.  When the smoke dies off, the tractor will start.

 

I'm assuming they stored the tractor outside.  I wouldn't suggest using this method with a Wheelhorse,  this is going back to the 1930s.

[Handy Don 12,247]

44 minutes ago, R Scheer said:

My father told me he used to use a bale of straw and a gallon of diesel to warm the tractor up enough to start during the winter.  Soak the straw with the diesel, slide under the oil pan, light off the straw with a torch.  When the smoke dies off, the tractor will start.

 

I'm assuming they stored the tractor outside.  I wouldn't suggest using this method with a Wheelhorse,  this is going back to the 1930s.

This musta been tough on the paint but if it worked then great.

Saw a program where Alaskan bush pilots used a similar technique to pre-heat their engines so they would crank over after standing overnight in serious cold weather. Gasoline heater underneath; fireproof blankets draped over the motor and around the heater. Apparently warmed the cabin as well. Took an hour.

[SylvanLakeWH 25,606]

47 minutes ago, R Scheer said:

My father told me he used to use a bale of straw and a gallon of diesel to warm the tractor up enough to start during the winter.  Soak the straw with the diesel, slide under the oil pan, light off the straw with a torch.  When the smoke dies off, the tractor will start.

 

I'm assuming they stored the tractor outside.  I wouldn't suggest using this method with a Wheelhorse,  this is going back to the 1930s.

Yikes! 

 

I’m thinking this would be ill advised in my garage...! 

 

I’ll stick to a trickle charger and my primer bulb. Starts right up...

[Tractorhead 9,064]

On the diesel before i just use a old hairdryer to heat up the Air at Coldstart.

Fires up immediately.

 

Now with the Shed i fire up the heater and use the Airpipe to prewarm the Engine if needed.

Tricklecharger is only connected on the 212 E- Start and on the Iseki.

That‘s just because they have no pullstart.

 

The 656 fires right up even at 25F after third pull with the pullstart.

[8ntruck 7,022]

The scoutmaster of the troup my kids were in had a diesel powered Suburban.  On one of the campout, they had to put a pile of coals under the engine to get it to start.

Edited January 1, 2021 by 8ntruck

[lynnmor 7,315]

My snowmobile club took a trip from PA to Hayward, Wisconsin during the coldest week they had on record.  One of our members had a tractor-trailer that hauled 30 sleds and the members either drove or flew there.  The day before the tractor-trailer was to depart we put a propane heater under the engine.  After a while the flame dropped to near nothing, it was so cold that the propane wouldn't vaporize, propane boils at -44 and the temperature was -39.  We then closed in the bottom of the tractor with snowmobile covers and set the propane bottle near the flame, yes it worked.

[Achto 27,622]

18 hours ago, lynnmor said:

My snowmobile club took a trip from PA to Hayward, Wisconsin during the coldest week they had on record.  One of our members had a tractor-trailer that hauled 30 sleds and the members either drove or flew there.  The day before the tractor-trailer was to depart we put a propane heater under the engine.  After a while the flame dropped to near nothing, it was so cold that the propane wouldn't vaporize, propane boils at -44 and the temperature was -39.

 

I just may have been on a snowmobile trip that same week. We were near Eagle River WI. We woke up one morning to freezing motel rooms. Much to the dismay of the motel owner we finally convinced him to let us build a charcoal fire under his LP tank. After an hour or so the LP tank was warm enough for the gas to vaporize. Extreme circumstances some times require extreme measures.

 

[cschannuth 3,816]

My dad parked his 79 Chevy pick up under a carport every night but it was still wicked cold. He hung a 100 W bulb between the battery and the engine every night during winter easier starts and quicker warm-up of the engine. That little bulb really made a difference.

[lynnmor 7,315]

5 hours ago, Achto said:

 

I just may have been on a snowmobile trip that same week. We were near Eagle River WI. We woke up one morning to freezing motel rooms. Much to the dismay of the motel owner we finally convinced him to let us build a charcoal fire under his LP tank. After an hour or so the LP tank was warm enough for the gas to vaporize. Extreme circumstances some times require extreme measures.

 

We learned a lot about extreme cold on that trip.  We kept beverages inside the motel room by the door, they froze solid.  DW and I were riding electric start Phazers, the electric starters wouldn't even make a click so we pulled the rope with both hands and that took all we could do.  The Phazers had the pogo stick front suspension and the grease turned to wood making it necessary to exercise the skis before they could be steered.  Some of the sleds refused to fire till we found the problem; the safety switches were open from frost jacking them apart.  Despite the extreme conditions, we managed to ride well over a hundred miles every day.  The high temperature that week went way up to -17 one afternoon, the -39 was observed in the morning when we rode out, overnight may have been lower.

[peter lena 8,647]

yup the light reflector is held in place by the frame tech a matic bracket , close to frame edge , that and the spring mounting clamp , standing vertically , makes it fit like it was made for it , simple , pete

[Achto 27,622]

1 hour ago, lynnmor said:

DW and I were riding electric start Phazers, the electric starters wouldn't even make a click so we pulled the rope with both hands and that took all we could do.  The Phazers had the pogo stick front suspension and the grease turned to wood making it necessary to exercise the skis before they could be steered.

 

My old 1979 Polaris TX 440 loved the cold weather. The colder it is, the faster those free air cooled machines would go.

[lynnmor 7,315]

28 minutes ago, Achto said:

 

My old 1979 Polaris TX 440 loved the cold weather. The colder it is, the faster those free air cooled machines would go.

I had a 1976 free air ElTigre, that thing would really run bad at 32 above, flooding, smoking and almost impossible to re-start, but ran great below zero.  Sure, we could re-jet every time a cloud covered the moon.  Those Phasers ran like crazy fast at 30 below, but I backed out of it for fear of burning down the engine, not wanting to spend hours towing, wrenching, etc. at those temperatures.

[Stepney 2,325]

1969 MotoSki MS18, 634 Hirth twin, -20f..

We would hook it to the truck, with a large electric heat gun to warm the cylinders and the massive Tillotson carb, use a pump oil can of gas to prime it. Hit the starter switch and yard the (steel cable) recoil for all you were worth.. eventually she'd fire and you were off for the day. Never an issue after that. It would get so cold the decompressors would freeze up. 

An old 247 Elan though.. always a pleasure to fire up and run no matter the weather.

 

In the Model T days, when the engine and transmission shared oil, the thing to do was warm the water and the oil on the stove, draining the engine the night before of course, since antifreeze was a new thing. You also had to jack the rear end of the car up.. the still dead cold transmission would drag, and as you pulled the engine over the car had a very good chance of running you down.. neutral or not. Good friend and I decided to challenge that old legend with a 1914 Doctors Coupe. 

It was no legend

 

Never had trouble with my old '85 Ford inline six though. My much newer Subaru has more cold weather issues than that old pig.

 

Never really have even bothered to warm my Kohler's though. Just run the right oil and they've always kicked over quite easily. 

[ebinmaine 67,698]

4 hours ago, Stepney said:

Good friend and I decided to challenge that old legend with a 1914 Doctors Coupe. 

It was no legend

I can absolutely see how that would happen. 

The machines I've run at work and home over the years do some interesting things when it's wicked cold. 

[Maxwell-8 4,277]

Nice but expensive option

 https://www.ebay.com/itm/OEM-5086720AC-Air-Intake-Heater-Element-for-Dodge-Ram-5-9L-Diesel-Pickup-Truck-/131749333655

Or a glow plug

 

they will pretty much drain your battery before you can try to start 

[tom2p 2,394]

On 1/2/2021 at 5:47 PM, lynnmor said:

We learned a lot about extreme cold on that trip.  We kept beverages inside the motel room by the door, they froze solid.  DW and I were riding electric start Phazers, the electric starters wouldn't even make a click so we pulled the rope with both hands and that took all we could do.  The Phazers had the pogo stick front suspension and the grease turned to wood making it necessary to exercise the skis before they could be steered.  Some of the sleds refused to fire till we found the problem; the safety switches were open from frost jacking them apart.  Despite the extreme conditions, we managed to ride well over a hundred miles every day.  The high temperature that week went way up to -17 one afternoon, the -39 was observed in the morning when we rode out, overnight may have been lower.

ouch - we rode in some cold temps - but not that cold !

 

ironically - when the temps dipped way down many snowmobilers stayed indoors !  lol 

 

recall one time it was so cold a down coat I had sitting inside the truck made a 'crackling' noise when it was moved around 

 

could barely move the gearshift levers ... auto trans selectors  ... windshield wipers refused to move 

 

 

my Phazer II also ran well / better in the colder weather - must have been jetted a tad rich ... never fouled plugs and they burned fairly clean though ... 

 

yes - you had to watch how hard you ran the Phazers - especially the early ones ... if ran too hard some would throw a rod ... happened to one friend - and another purchased a Phazer with a blown engine 

 

on the really cold days we also used the 100w light bulb to provide some warmth back in the day ... amazing a small bulb could make a difference - but it did 

with my dad's GMC diesel had to plug in the engine block heater or you were screwed 

 

Edited January 7, 2021 by tom2p

[Achto 27,622]

Mornings on a work day are pretty much the same routine for me, it's about 10min from the time I roll out of bed til my foot is on the gas pedal. Not the best practice when you have a cast iron block with aluminum heads. To save myself from myself, I installed a block heater into one of the freeze plug holes when I recently rebuilt the engine in my 05 Dakota. On average a freeze plug heater is the lowest price and best functioning heater for an engine. Probably one of the best up grades that I did to my engine. It's blowing heat before I even get to the end of the block. 

[bds1984 1,435]

On 1/2/2021 at 8:20 PM, lynnmor said:

  I had a 1976 free air ElTigre, that thing would really run bad at 32 above, flooding, smoking and almost impossible to re-start, but ran great below zero.  Sure, we could re-jet every time a cloud covered the moon.  Those Phasers ran like crazy fast at 30 below, but I backed out of it for fear of burning down the engine, not wanting to spend hours towing, wrenching, etc. at those temperatures.

My 1974 El Tigre 400 was very similar.  It would foul all four plugs like crazy above 30 but was one wicked beast around 0 degrees and the skies rarely touched the ground on the straits.  If you didn't get it to start on the first three pulls, forget it.  No matter what I did to the fuel and ignition system she was the most cantankerous machine I've ever had.

Now all my Wheel Horses start up fine in the cold as long as the battery is good, with the exception of my 520H.  The M18 in her does not like waking up when it is below 30 which is a real issue with her being my plow rig.  I brought her into the big garage for the winter so I can point my 125K btu heater at her for a few.  Once running, I don't shut her off until everything is done as restarting after sitting outside for a little bit isn't a guarantee.  

[RandyLittrell 3,884]

My generator does not like starting when it is cold, so I fire up my big buddy heater and let it warm it up a bit first. 

 

 

 

Randy

[Maxwell-8 4,277]

3 minutes ago, RandyLittrell said:

My generator does not like starting when it is cold, so I fire up my big buddy heater and let it warm it up a bit first. 

 

 

 

Randy

A gas generator? or diesel?